Zinedine Zidane becomes fourth most successful manager in Real Madrid history after Super Cup win

The Frenchman has only been in charge for one and a half years but victory over Manchester United means he already has an enviable trophy haul

Evan Bartlett
Wednesday 09 August 2017 14:33 BST
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Zinedine Zidane drew level with Leo Beenhakker as Real Madrid's fourth most successful coach after victory in the European Super Cup
Zinedine Zidane drew level with Leo Beenhakker as Real Madrid's fourth most successful coach after victory in the European Super Cup (AFP/Getty Images)

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Zinedine Zidane enjoyed a glittering playing career – winning the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and domestic trophies in both Serie A and La Liga.

But his hunger for success does not appear to have diminished one bit since turning to management.

The Frenchman lifted his sixth trophy as Real Madrid manager on Tuesday night – making him already the fourth most successful manager in his highly-decorated club’s history.

“There were great celebrations in the dressing room, that's normal,” Zidane admitted after watching his team brush Manchester United aside in the European Super Cup in Skopje.

“We never get tired of winning.”

Those final six words should sound as a warning to Madrid’s rivals – and to the man who sits above him in the club’s management hall of fame.

The 45-year-old sits one trophy behind his former boss Vincente del Bosque, and two away from Luis Molowny who managed the club on four separate occasions in the 1970s and 80s.

Zidane has been in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu for just one and a half years.

If he carries on scooping up silverware at the same rate then it will not take him long to overtake the club’s most famous coach - Miguel Muñoz - who won 14 trophies in his 16 seasons at the club including five European Cups in a row.

In June, Zidane became the first coach to win consecutive Champions League titles since Milan’s Arrigo Sacchi in 1990 - and it is clear that he will not be resting on his laurels.

"We know we've got a lot of talent and that with hard work we can achieve great things," Zidane added.

"We're very hungry, we always want more.”

With the new domestic season getting under way on Sunday, Zidane will have a chance to pick up his seventh trophy in the Super Copa de Espana against arch-rivals Barcelona.

If Tuesday night’s performance was impressive, then Zidane is only expecting his side to improve as the campaign kicks on.

"It was a near perfect performance,” Zidane said of the win over United.

“The first half was fantastic and then we struggled a bit at the end of the second. If we'd have got the third goal, that would have been it. We showed great character and hunger.

"We want to give it our all and we've got the ambition to do better and better.”

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